In this work we present explicit definitions for the sample complexity associated with the Sample Average Approximation (SAA) Method for instances and classes of multistage stochastic optimization problems. For such, we follow the same notion firstly considered in Kleywegt et al. (2001). We define the sample complexity for an arbitrary class of problems by considering its worst case behavior, a...

BACKGROUND Elevated levels of serum C-reactive protein (CRP) have been reported to have prognostic significance in lung cancer patients. This study aimed to further identify CRP-bound components as prognostic markers for lung cancer and validate their prognostic value. METHODS CRP-bound components obtained from the serum samples from lung cancer patients or healthy controls were analyzed by d...

Serum amyloid A (SAA) is a multifunctional acute-phase protein whose concentration in serum increases markedly following a number of chronic inflammatory and neoplastic diseases. Prolonged high SAA level may give rise to reactive systemic amyloid A (AA) amyloidosis, where the N-terminal segment of SAA is deposited as amyloid fibrils. Besides, recently, well-documented association of SAA with hi...

The paper studies stochastic optimization (programming) problems with compound functions containing expectations and extreme values of other random functions as arguments. Compound functions arise in various applications. A typical example is a variance function of nonlinear outcomes. Other examples include stochastic minimax problems, econometric models with latent variables, multi-level and m...

The study of stochastic approximation algorithms (SAAs) with setvalued mean-fields has been popular during recent times due to their applications to many large scale model-free problems arising in stochastic optimization and control. The analysis of such algorithms requires the almost sure boundedness of the iterates, which can be hard to verify. In this paper we extend the ideas of Abounadi, B...

Background. Splenic artery aneurysm (SAA) is an uncommon and difficult diagnosis. SAA is more common in females. Only 20% of SAA is symptomatic and may present as a rupture. A ruptured SAA is associated with a 25% mortality rate. Case Presentation. We present a case of a male patient with a bleeding SAA that rapidly increased in size. Distal coiling was technically impossible and despite proxim...

The mechanism by which LPS stimulates an acute phase serum amyloid A (SAA) response in C3H mice has been studied. A factor (SAA inducer) appears in the blood of C3H/HeN (lipopolysaccharide [LPS]-sensitive) mice approximately 1 h after administration of LPS, which, when passively administered, can induce C3H/HeJ mice to produce SAA although they are resistant to the LPS itself. SAA inducer has b...

Inflammation in systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a prominent, but incompletely characterized feature in early stages of the disease. The goal of these studies was to determine the circulating levels, clinical correlates and biological effects of the acute phase protein serum amyloid A (SAA), a marker of inflammation, in patients with SSc. Circulating levels of SAA were determined by multiplex assays...

Serum amyloid protein A (SAA), the precursor of secondary amyloid protein, is elevated in chronic diseases which are associated with an increased incidence of amyloid. However, SAA is also elevated in acute bacterial and viral infections and somes forms of cancer. The murine model of casein-induced amyloidosis was studied to determine the relationship between SAA production and amyloid depositi...

Abnormal telomere attrition has been found to be closely related to patients with SAA in recent years. To identify the incidence of telomere attrition in SAA patients and investigate the relationship of telomere length with clinical parameters, SAA patients (n=27) and healthy controls (n=15) were enrolled in this study. Telomere length of PWBCs was significantly shorter in SAA patients than in ...